Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-29
g1istellanepns &eading.
THE INDIAN TERRITORY.

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THE INDIAN TERRITORY.
In addition to the five so-called civilized
nations-the Cherokees, ChoctaWs, Chick
asaws, Seminoles and Creeks-there are
q number of remnants of tribes in the Ter
ritory. In all there about IS 5000. Cover
nor Perryman, of the Creek Nation, is a
very intelligent Indian. His complexion
is very dark, and he is supposed to have
negro blood in his veins. He is OF stout
build and medium height. He dresses
in civilized garb, and has a couple OF daugh-
tiers who are handsome and fashionable
looking enough to attract attention any
where. Governor Perryman can both
read and write. Bushy Head, the princl-
pal chief of the Cherokees, is an ln1elll-
gent half-breed. One Of his ancestors was
white. Governor McCurtin, of the Choc-
Jaws, is tall and ~raw-boned.
Each nation has a government not un,
like that of a State. They have a Council
that might he compared to a State Legis-
lature. This Council makes the laws, with
the Governors approval. The Council
can pass a bill over his veto by tWo-thirds
vote. Each nation has a number of schools
and these are reasonably we'll attended,
though wealthy Indians generally send
their children to the North for an educa-
ton. There are two schools at Muskogee,
and the Creek Nation has an academy
at Tishimunga. A railroad station at train
time has all the attraction for the Indian
the male-that it has for the whites. In
dian women, however, do not rush to see
a train come in and 60 out and stare at
the passengers. Only white women 90
that, they say. Many of the Indian women
who have white blood in them are hand
some.and clever, and not a few are mar
ried % white men.
The white man who marries an Indian
woman of the Territory becomes an Indian
SO far as his rights and privileges are con-
cerned. He can fence in all the lands he
wants, unless he wants too much. II he
shows a disposition to fence in all the un-
occupied land in the Territory his Indian
neighbors will not call upon him and ar
que the point. They simply cut the fence
down. He can, however, fence a section
GAO acres-and no II is allowed to settle
or use the land for a quarter of mile dis
tant from his fences. White men who
marry Indians-the men who marry as a
business venture-generally engage in cat
tie raising, and while they keep their
herds in the Territory they keep them,
selves in Texas or Kansas. Not all Of
them, however, for in addition to the
shiftless white Indians there are several
of the thrifty goahead kind who make
their homes where they have made their
money.
"Jim" McAllister is a striking example
of this class. He is supposed to be worth
$500, 600, and he lives in the town that
bears his name. Seventeen years ago Nc
Allister entered the Territory driving a
mule team. He carried all his property
on his back. The Territory suited him:
He saw a Chickasaw squaW who suited
him also. He married her and became all
Indian. In knocking about the Territory
he discovered coal, or made the acquain-
lance of an Indian who had made the dis
covery. The discoverer of coal gets a roy
atty on every ton that is mined on q mile
square of territory. There are about six
teen Indians in the Territory who are paid
such a royalty, and McAllister is one of
them. He reaps a rich harvest on his
royalty alone, for there are three coal
mines in operation at McAllister which
give employment to 700 men, and the
daily capacity of the mines is about 1000
tons, or 100 cars of sixteen tons each. The
royalty on coal rum from ~one-quarter to
one cent a bushel of eighty-five pounds.
McAlister owns two stores atwhich miners
deal. He has a fortune in them. He
owns a ranch nine miles north of Denlson,
Texas, and has it stocked with 5000 cattle.
It also contains several substantial build
ings. He is q heavy set man, a trltie above
medium height, and is about forty-five
years of age. He is a pronounced blonde,
while his wife is very dark. She is a
woman of excellent reputation, and a
steady church-goer. McAllister's tastes
do not tend in that direction, but he is a
man of good habits.
Several full blooded Indians are also
worth their pile. Frank Colbert, who
lives at Colbert Station, eight miles north
of Denison, is counted among the richest.
He is supposed to be worth from sl5O'0OO
to 5000, 600. Nail, a ChoctaW, owns 1000
head of cattle. Others are worth sums
ranging from S25, 900 to 100000. None of
the principal chiefs or governors are veal
thy. -,
Many Indian families bear names not
owned by their ancestors who r0amed the
forests in the time of Christopher Columbus.
There are O'Tooles, Flanigans, Shaughn-
Indians. These names were given to them
by the Canadian trappers of the Hudson's
Bay Company, the same men who named
the Canadian River that rum lengthWise
through the Territory. Occasionally an
Indian named O'Toole will be found who
employs an Irish "renter" who bears the
same name. The Irish O'Toole will work
the land owned by the Indian O'Toole,
and for the privilege will give the land
owner a third of the crop. Few of the
Indians do manual labor, a fact which
accounts for the large number of renters in
the Territory. All ties used by the rail-
roads that run through the Territory are
furnished by the Indians who charge a
royalty of ten cents per tie. Everything
sold in the Territory pays a royalty to the
nation in whose territory the sale was
made, and the money is spent for school
purposes. Ahe uncultivated land belongs
to the nations but not to individuals.
Land cannot be sold by 4 person who de-
sires to leave the Territory. Only the i'm
provements on it can be disposed of. All
the nations raise cotton and corn except
the Cherokees who are north OF the cotton
belt.
The desperadoes of adjoining States often
make the Indian Territory a temporary
abiding place. Even if they were allow
ed to do so these characters would not re-
main in the Territory long. The South
western desperate grows lonesome with
out his whisky, and liquor is not sold or
allowed in the Territory. When any
liquor is found within the limits the jug
is broken and a spot bare of grass tells the
tale. Five gallons of rum were discovered
here a few days ago by a Marshal. He
took the corks of ten half gallon jugs and
stood the latter on the small end until the
contents had killed all the animal and
vegetable life in the immediate vicinity
Correspondence NeW York Times.
A GOOD SUGGESTION CONCERNING